Driving-box wedge adjustment



July. 7, 1925.

NJI. EDWARDS DRIVING BOX WEDGE ADJUSTMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1924 2Sheets-sheaf 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 7; 1925. 1,545,412

, 1 N. I. EDWARDS DRIVING BOX WEDGE ADJUSTMENT v Filed Dec. 5, 192 2Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR- M .,W

- ATTORNEYJ Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATE NT OFFICE.

NORMAN I. EDWARDS, OF LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR' T FRANKLINRAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DRIVING-BOX. WEDGE ADJUSTMENT.

Application filed December 5, 1924. Serial No. 754,044.

One of the primary objects of my inven-' tion is to provide simple anddurable means for actuating the compensating wedge. A

further object is to provide easily accessible adjustment for theactuating means; to provide means to lock said adjusting mechanism inposition; and to prevent maladj ustment of the actuating means.

These, together with such other objects as inay hereinafter appear, orare. incident to my invention, I obtain by means of a constructionillustrated in, the accompanying drawings, wherein.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation and partial section of a driving boxillustrating the application of my improved actuating and adjustingmeans thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section through the actuating and adjusting mechanism whichis shown on a larger scale than in Fi Fig. 3 is a plan view ot bracket;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of anadjusting nut; and

Fig. 5 shows a detail of the construction.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference letter A indicates the mainframeof a locomotive with pedestal jaws 5 and 6, in which the drivingbox B is mounted for vertical movement.

Upon the pedestal faces of the driving box B are the driving box gibs 7and interposed between the gib 7 on one side and the pedestal jaw 5 arethe compensating wedges 8 and- 9 which automatically take up any wearcaused by the "vertical movement of thedrivingbox in the pedestal in amanner well understood in the art. To the wedge member 9 is connectedthe wedge bolt 10 which extends down through the pedestal 1- thesupporting binder 11 and projects .therebelow. The lower end of thisbolt 10 is screw threaded.

Just below the bolt hole in the binder 11 is the bracket or yoke 12whichis secured to the binder by means of the bolts 13. The bottom ofthis-bracket 12 is provided with an opening 14; and also has, on theinner face the grooves or indentations 15, into which correspondingprojections 16 on the plate or washer 17 are adapted to fit. Surroundingthe bolt 10 and resting on the plate or washer 17 is placed the spring18. The upper end of this spring bears against a shoulder 19 of thetubular nut member 20.

This member 20 is of a hexagonal shape (see Fig. 5),- internallyshouldered and threaded at its upper end and adapted to be screwed ontothe wedge bolt 10. The lower portion projects through the opening 14beyond the lower part of the bracket 12 where it can be readily grippedby a wrench and turned to adjust the tension on the spring 18, which,acting through the member 20 and bolt 10 pushes the wedge 9 home.

The washer 17 has a hexagonal opening which engages the hexagonal member20. V hen the member 20 is turned to effect adjustment of the tension ofthe spring this washer 17 turns with it, the projection 16 rising out ofthe grooves 15 in the bottom of the bracket and sliding over the innersurface of the bracket until a quarter turn has been made when theprojections snap back into the grooves.

This arrangement of the grooves and projections prevents completecompression of the spring 18 foriii the spring-be compressed, or almostcompressed, when the grooves and projections is to lock the parts 1nposition when they have been adjusted.

Whenthe projections 16 register with the grooves 15 the tension ofthespring 18 will hold the washer in position, preventing it from turningaccidentally. This washerin turn will prevent the nut 20 "from turningand working up on the bolt 10 to release the spring tension.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple and efficient adjustablewedge mechanism in which the parts are easily accessible for adjustmentand in which it is practically impossible to make any adjustment whichwould cause jamming of the wedge so as to interfere with the verticalmovement of the driving box.

I claim:

1. The combination with a frame and driving box mounted therein, of awedge, means for yieldingly pressing the wedge into engagementcomprising a bolt, a spring, a support for the spring and a nut memberon the bolt engaging said spring and projecting through said support.

2. The combination with a frame and driving box mounted therein, of awedge, means for yieldingly pressing the wedge into engagementcomprising a bolt, a spring, a support for the spring'and a nut memberon the bolt engaging said spring and extending between said spring andbolt and projecting beyond the support.

3. The combination with a frame and driving box mounted therein, of awedge,- means for yieldingly pressing the wedge into engagementcomprising a bolt, a spring,

driving box mounted therein, of a wedge,

means for yieldingly pressing the wedge into engagement comprising abolt, a spring, a support for the spring having grooves therein, a nutmember on the bolt engaging the spring, means engaging said nut andinterposed between said spring and said support and having projectionsadapted to fit into the grooves of the support to lock the nut againstunintended turning.

:5. The combination with a frame and driving box mounted therein, of awedge, means for yieldingly pressing the wedge into engagementcomprising a bolt, a coil spring around said bolt, a seat member forsaid spring, and an'adjusting nut on the bolt against which the springbears, said seat having an opening and said nut extending within saidspring and through said opening. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

NORMAN I. EDWARDS.

